Creating Unkei Buddhas [Episode 20] Gallery of Works
Four Heavenly Kings Statue: Dhrtarastra
A plastic model by Kaiyodo. In addition to the Dhrtarastra statue, the series includes the Virudhaka, Virupaksa, and Vaisravana statues, completing the set of the Four Heavenly Kings.
Although the assembly instructions do not specify the model statue, it is likely based on the Dhrtarastra statue at the Central Golden Hall of Kofuku-ji Temple in Nara, despite some differences in the modeling. It is non-scale, but with a total height of about 16 cm, it is approximately 1/12 scale.
Kit Name: Four Heavenly Kings Statue: Dhrtarastra
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Scale: Non-scale (approx. 1/12)
First Edition: 2022
Box Art: Goshi Nakamura
■ Kaijusen-ji Temple Style Coloring
Referencing the standing statue of Dhrtarastra at Kaijusen-ji Temple in Minamiyamashiro, which retains its original coloring well, I created a slightly weathered look. I aimed for a photograph with an atmosphere like those by Asukuen *1 in Nara.
■ Kofuku-ji Central Golden Hall Style Coloring
I aimed to reproduce the standing statue of Dhrtarastra currently enshrined in the Central Golden Hall of Kofuku-ji Temple in Nara. I wanted to make the face closer to the original, so I tried to express not just anger, but also kindness and sadness.
Although the original has carved eyes, I installed LED eyes so that it would glow even in a dark hall. The left shows it turned off, and the right shows it turned on.
■ Monochrome Photograph in the Style of Seiyo Ogawa
Seiyo Ogawa, the founder of Asukuen in Nara, was primarily active as a photographer before the war, and the photos he published were monochrome, so I converted the image to monochrome to capture that atmosphere.
■ Sketch of the Vaisravana Standing Statue at Ganjo-juin Temple in Izu
In connection with Unkei Buddhas, I am reposting a sketch of the Vaisravana standing statue by a young accompanying artist who participated in the '2026 Ganjo-juin Temple Unkei Buddha Survey Team' *2.
Finally, a commemorative photo of the two of them together.
*1 Asukuen, Nara: A photo studio specializing in Buddhist statues located in Nara. Known for the works of founder Seiyo Ogawa and his third son, Kozo Ogawa. For details, click here.
*2 '2026 Ganjo-juin Temple Unkei Buddha Survey Team': A private survey team composed of my family members. Established for the 'See All Unkei' project. For details, click here.
[Episode 19] Reconsidering the Rock Pedestal Return to
[Episode 1] First, Restoring the 'Dhrtarastra Ancient Coloring' Return to